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GAS ENGINE.

Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

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Patented Apr. 10,1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. CARSE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS. KANE, OF SAMEPLACE.

-GAS-ENG|NE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent- No. 518,177, dated April10, 1894.

Application filed April 26, 1893- v To all whom it may concern- Be itknown that I, JOHN B. CARSE, residi ng at Chicago, Illinois, haveinvented certain newand usefnllmprovements in Gas-Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of engines in which a mixture of gasand air under compression is ignited by an electric spark, to operatethe piston; and it consists in the features and details of constructionhereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is an end elevation of my improved gas engine,with the head of the combustion chamber removed; Fig. 2 a longitudinalsection of a portion of side view of the tension device used in Fig. 1';Fig. 4. a longitudinal section of a portion of the engine showing amodification of my improved gas engine; and Fig. 5 a side elevation ofthe operative parts shown in Fig. 4..

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive andefficient mechanism for producing an electric spark to effect theignition of the charge of compressed gas. To this end, I provide thereciprocating piston of an engine with an electrode arranged to beprojected, by the movement of the piston, beyond the cylinder into thecommunicating combustion chamber. I mount in the combustion chamber asecond electrode, which is rigid or inflexible, but pivoted andsustained in its normal position by yielding connections, in such amanner that it will actwith yielding pressure npon the first namedelectrode, as the latter is carried against it by the movements of thepiston. I prefer to mount the yielding electrode on one end of a rockshaft, which is projected through the. wall of the combustion chamber,and connected on the outer end with an operating spring; but the essenceof the invention resides in the employment of the inflexible electrodesin connection with yielding devices, and it will be manifest to askilled mechanic that the details of construction may be variouslymodified within the limits of my invention, without materially changingthe mode of action.

As illustrated in the drawings, in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I prefer toconstruct my improved Serial No.4'71,938. (No model.)

gas engine by using a cylinder A, which may be of the desired size, andwhich is provided with a cylinder head A, in the usual way. I arrange apiston, B, in the cylinder, adapted to bemoved back and forth therein,and which is intended to be connected with the crank of the engine toimpart the desired rotation to the same in its movements. Iprovide acombustion chamber, C, arranged on the cylinder head and extendingthrough the same into the interior of the cylinder. The combustionchamber is of course provided with a head or cap, so as to securelyinclose it and confine the explosive material. Iarrange an electrode, D,in the piston head, so. that it will be carried back and forth with itsmovements. 1 pass through the wall of the combustion chamber a sleeve,E, which is intended to be insulated from the wall, and in which isintended to be arranged a metallic rock shaft, F, for which the sleeveaffords the requisite bearing. On the inner end of the rock shaft ismounted arigid metallic arm, G, arranged in position to be contacted bythe point of the electrode as the piston reaches its extreme advancedposition. Jhis arm is preferably arranged at an angle to the axis of theelectrode, so that as the point of the electrode approaches, it willcontact against the arm at an angle, and slide or scrape along until itreaches its final advanced position. This rubbing or' scraping action ispreferred for the reason that by employing it the arm will be keptclean, so that a perfect contact willv always be secured between theelectrode and the arm. As the electrode contacts with the arm, it pushesor moves it back, and, in so doing, turns or rotates the rock shaft onwhich it is mounted to the extent that it moves the arm back. On 0 theouter end of the rock shaft is arranged a rigid arm, H, which is movedor carried by the rock shaft as it turns or rotates. The free end ofthis arm is provided with a hole which surrounds the pin or bolt, h,which is insulated from the arm. A coiled spring, I, also preferablyinsulated both from the arm and pin or bolt, is arranged around the pinor bolt, so that as the rock shaft is turned andthe outer arm lifted, itwill lift against the tension of the spring, and as the piston in thecylinder moves back and carries the electrode away from the inner rigidarm on the rock shaft,'the spring will restore the rock shaft and theinner rigid arm to their normal position in readiness for the nextadvance of the piston and electrode. I have shown the outer arm, H, anda spring, I, as the means for restoring the inner rigid arm to itsworking or normal position; but, as it is obvious that weights or otherkinds of springs could be employed for the same purpose, I do not careto limit myself to these particular details of construction. I arrangean electric battery, K, in suitable position, and carry a wire, k, fromone of its poles to the cylinder, and a wire, is, from the other of itspoles to the rock shaft, so as to bring the cylinder and the rock shaft,with its rigid inner arm, into an electric circuit as parts thereof. Itwill be understood that the piston is not insulated from the cylinder,so that when the cylinder is in the circuit, the piston and electrodeare also. It will thus be seen that as the piston advances and carriesits electrode into contact with the inner rigid arm within thecombustion chamber, the circuit will be completed, so as to generate aspark within the combustion chamber to ignite the explosive gas or vaporwith which such cylinder is charged preparatory to each explosion.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown a modification of my improved gas engine.I secure to the piston B, as in Fig. 2, an electrode D, so that it willpartake of the same motions as the piston. Pivotcd entirely within thecombustion chamber, C, on the rock shaft, F, is a rigid electrode, G, inposition to have one of its free ends contracted by the electrode on thepiston, as the same movesinto and out of the combustion chamber.Pivotall y secured to the opposite free end of the electrode is a rodg,which extends upward and out through the head of the combustionchamber. The rod is provided with a collar g at its extreme end.Interposed between the collar and an insulated washer which restsagainst the head of the combustion chamber is a spiral spring, I, whichserves to hold the electrode, by means of its rod, in its normalposition, and adapted to be contacted by the electrode on the piston asthe same approaches its limit of motion. As the electrode on the pistoncontacts the electrode pivoted in the combustion chamber, it vibratesthe same on the rock shaft, and produces a scraping contact which servesto keep the contact points clear, and insures the generation of anelectric spark. The electric circuit is formed by connecting thecylinder to the battery, K, by means of the wire K and the rod, g, tothe battery by means of the wire K I claim- 1. In a gas engine, thecombination of a cylinder, a piston movable back and forth therein, anelectrode connected to and moving with the piston, a combustion chamberinto which the point of the electrode moves, a rock shaft passingthrough the wall of the combustion chamber and insulated therefrom, aninner rigid arm mounted on the inner end of the rock shaft with its freeend in position to be contacted by the point of the electrode and movedback, thereby rotating the rock shaft, means for restoring the rigid armto its normal position as the electrode retreats, and

an electric circuit which includes the elec-, trode and the inner rigidarm as parts, substantially as described.

2. In a gas engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston movable backand forth therein, an electrode connected to and moving with the piston,a combustion chamber into which the point of the electrode moves, arockshaft passing through the wall of the combustion chamber and insulatedtherefrom, an inner rigid arm mounted on the inner end of the rock shaftwith its free end in position to be contacted by the point of theelectrode and moved back, thereby rotating the rock shaft, an arm on theouter end of the rock shaft, a spring exerting its tension on such armfor restoring it, the rock shaft and the inner rigid arm to their normalposition as the electrode retreats, and an electric circuit whichincludes the electrode and the inner rigid arm as parts, substantiallyas described.

JOHN B. CARSE.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDEN, SAMUEL O. I-IIBBEN.

